Everton boss David Moyes mockingly claims Liverpool get ALL the decisions as he fires back at Arne Slot's Anfield ref complaints

Hill Dickinson Stadium will host its first-ever Merseyside derby on Sunday and Everton go into it full of belief, just five points behind their rivals and with eyes on European football. Slot’s English champions, meanwhile, have won just three of their last 10 fixtures and are one loss away from levelling their most-ever defeats in a season. The pressure is mounting on the former Feyenoord man as his side struggles to replicate the form that saw them lift the Premier League trophy last term. Moyes says he has sympathy for his struggling city rival – but insists he is "not having" the Liverpool head coach using refereeing decisions as an excuse.

Asked if he feels sympathy for Slot given some Reds fans do not back him to turn things around, Moyes said: “Absolutely. He has done a brilliant job. And I have got to say he is a really good coach – that is from a neutral point of view. But I’m not sure I’m having him saying they are getting bad decisions at Anfield because if you ask any Premier League manager over football history, they will tell you that if there is one club that gets all the decisions, it is Liverpool Football Club.”

The Scotsman continued his critique, suggesting that Everton have often been on the wrong end of those calls during his various spells in the dugout. “So if they are finding a few bad things at the moment, well, we have had to put up with them for years, every time we go there. But as a coach, I think he’s a top coach. I actually think Liverpool supporters would agree with that if they were honest as well! There are very few decisions that go against Liverpool at Anfield. Very few,” Moyes added.

Quizzed further on how managers can go from hero to zero, the experienced Moyes said: “I’m getting a bit older. I have had all that. I’ve been there and done it. You know, I could start next season with six defeats and you will be saying I’m rubbish! There is very little balance and realism in the job in some ways. Arne Slot won the Premier League last year. He’s probably got to make a few changes and take a bit of time if the players don’t settle in straight away. It’s a bit like us.”

He further cautioned against unrealistic expectations, noting the difficulty of maintaining top-tier success in a competitive league. “What does the next level look like for Everton next year? If you are saying 'you should be in the top four or five!' then I would be saying 'hold on, wait a minute! You’re wrong.' It’s very difficult. Some managers are doing amazing jobs. But there is no way we have a Premier League without someone losing. It’s going to be someone in focus every year,” he concluded.

With six games remaining, the Toffees find themselves in a genuine battle for European football - a prospect that seemed unlikely during the financial turbulence of recent years. Moyes remains focused on internal progress rather than his rivals' form, despite the noise surrounding the pressure on the Liverpool dugout.